


Potential

by Foxglove_Fiction



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Communication, IronStrange Focus, M/M, Pre-Relationship, discussions of polyamory, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxglove_Fiction/pseuds/Foxglove_Fiction
Summary: There's something Tony's been meaning to do for a while, but he's finally worked up the courage. Things are a little more complicated than he expected, however.
Relationships: Loki/Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 16
Kudos: 52





	Potential

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyRosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRosa/gifts).



> This is a Secret Santa gift for LadyRosa!

“I told you, Tony, I’m not that kind of doctor,” Bruce shook his head. “I know a lot of things, but if your plan is medical equipment, Doctor Strange is probably your best bet.”

“Are you sure his degree is legit?” Tony questioned from his seat, looking over at the man. “Are you sure he isn’t one of those quack doctors?”

Bruce gave him an amused look before Friday supplied clarification: “Doctor Stephen Strange was one of the best neurologists in the United States prior to his accident. Records show that he completed his medical degree in record time-”

“Thank you, Friday,” Tony interrupted, chuckling a little. “Guess the next question is, do you have his number?”

That was how it started. 

It must have been over a year ago, when he thought about it, but really it felt like it had been forever. So naturally it had come as a shock to find out that the man he’d spent most of the year with was not only in a relationship, but in a relationship with a certain God of Mischief.

Tony stood in the doorway, admittedly not entirely certain of the best course of action as vibrant green eyes settled curiously on him, a slight smirk playing on his lips as his fingers ran over Stephen’s shoulders and down his bared back. He felt pinned in place by that gaze as he watched lips brush down over the pale column of flesh that marked Stephen’s neck.

“We seem to have a guest,” Loki mused quietly, his eyes never leaving Tony’s. He saw Stephen’s head begin to turn, though it was a quick touch of the God of Mischief’s hand that kept his hand in place. “I think he brought you flowers…”

The mechanic huffed at that, looking down at his hand absently before he wrinkled his nose. “Thought the place could use some colour is all.”

“Loki-”

“Quit your wiggling,” Loki rolled his eyes a little, finally getting up and tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “Go on then. I’ll wait in your room.” 

Loki took his leave of them without looking back, and the sorcerer took a moment to straighten himself out before he stood, turning to face Tony with a clearly embarrassed expression.

“I’m… sorry about all of that,” he stated slowly, his gaze dropping to the bouquet in Tony’s hand as he winced slightly. “This was clearly…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tony shook his head, setting the bouquet aside and running a hand through his hair. “I guess I never did ask about… y’know, your… relationship stuff. That’s my own mistake.”

“I know the two of you have history, so I wasn’t certain it was… appropriate to mention,” Stephen responded quietly. He hesitated in his spot, before gesturing to a seat that was distinctly not the chair he’d just been sitting in. “Would you like to sit? Talk about… this?”

“He seems to be waiting-”

“He can keep waiting, Tony. If he can’t, he can leave. He volunteered my time to you,” Stephen pointed out, offering a small smile.

“Quite a relationship to have.”

“Given the kinds of people we both are, it works well for us. At times our time together is intruded on by responsibility. I’m sure you know what that’s like. This is the system we’ve worked out.”

Tony glanced down at the bouquet in his hands, considering his options given the situation. “I didn’t know you were in a relationship, and I suppose I shouldn’t have assumed regardless… To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going for with this anyway.”

“So this wasn’t about trying to court me?” Stephen inquired, and as Tony looked up there was a warm smile on the sorcerer’s face. “Because I’m not opposed, if you were.”

The engineer gave him a puzzled look as he considered his words. “Doc, as I have recently learned, you’re in a relationship…”

“I assure you, our means of communicating isn’t the only thing that’s unconventional about our relationship,” the sorcerer responded with a crooked smile. “Ignoring the fact that Loki is…  _ Loki _ , there’s still a lot of things that--”

“ _ I like tentacles, _ ” a voice shouted from somewhere else in the house, and Stephen sunk his face into his hands.

“I’m… sorry about him. The point is, there are certain things we each enjoy that the other does not, and time does move strangely in different places. We’ve agreed to something of an… open relationship. For now, that’s all it is.”

“I’m not really sure what any of this has to do with me,” Tony said, trying desperately to scrub the image of Loki and tentacles out of his head, with minimal success.

“Well, if the idea isn’t terribly off-putting for you--”

“I am not sure about this idea of being a piece on the side, you know? Not exactly my style,” the engineer interjected. Stephen watched him steadily.

“I wasn’t asking you to be. But let’s say we put all of this aside, and assumed you had simply walked through that door and hadn’t seen anything. What was your plan, exactly?”

“I thought we might get… coffee.” He’d thought dinner, really, but saying it out loud felt like a strange bit of commitment that he wasn’t quite ready for here.

“Then why don’t we get coffee and talk about things?” the man suggested, getting to his feet and offering Tony a hand up.

“... your boyfriend is-”

“Intrusive and has already been eavesdropping, I’m sure he can figure himself out.”

Tony contemplated the hand for a moment, before reaching to take the sorcerer’s wrist to pull himself to his feet. “Yeah, I can do coffee.”

“Great. There’s a place just down the street that’s nice.”

The place was not a coffeeshop. They did, however, serve coffee so that was good enough for Tony’s standards. Plus, looking aimlessly through the actual menu and discussing potential ‘snack’ options with the sorcerer did plenty to help him avoid getting to the subject of dating.

Of course, the moment that excuse was gone he couldn’t exactly control his mind’s connection with his mouth.

“So how does this open relationship thing work, anyway? What makes it any different than being like… friends with benefits or something?”

“For one thing, we aren’t friends,” Stephen pointed out, “there is a certain emotional attachment that goes a bit above and beyond that. It’s just… it’s complicated. Our relationship itself, that is. Given our situations, how can anyone expect otherwise?”

“This isn’t much making a case for making this work,” Tony responded, sipping at his coffee.

“It was always going to be complicated, Tony, even without Loki in the picture. My life is not simple, your life is not simple, our jobs are not simple,” Stephen explained, his hands curled around a cup of tea as he watched Tony steadily. “If you wanted something simple then I was never an option, especially given your relationship with magic as a whole. There are plenty of reasons I didn’t pursue you - you came to me. You’re the only one who can make a decision about what is good for you, all I can do is help you be informed about that decision.”

“It sounds like a lot of work.”

“Aren’t all relationships, in their own way? And yet we are all adults who are used to a degree of personal and professional responsibility. We all know how to take care of ourselves.”

“That,” Tony smirked, “is debatable. I seem to recall someone trying so hard to explain something that they hurt their hands.”

“And I seem to recall someone so fixated on their work that they forgot to eat, and sleep,” Stephen retorted with an amused smile, “and  _ bathe. _ ”

“That seems like an argument against us being responsible adults capable of taking care of ourselves.”

“Mm, but also an argument for how well we work together. I seem to recall that when I did hurt my hands, you were immediately there to make sure I stopped. You got me a warm towel and wrapped my hands, made sure I sat and had water. Likewise, when you forgot to eat, I made sure you remembered, and tried to encourage healthier sleeping habits.”

“I didn’t exactly want you to be hurting yourself to help me,” the engineer pointed out, looking down at his coffee. 

“I wasn’t hurting myself to help you,” Stephen sighed softly, tilting his head. “I hurt myself because I was an idiot. That’s all.”

The memories were fond ones for him, the building blocks that had brought him to this point, the foundations for the affection that had grown in him over the year.

He cherished the moment Stephen allowed him to help with his hand, despite the hiss of pain the man had emitted as his fingers were slowly pried apart before Tony wrapped them delicately with the warmed cloth. He remembered the sigh of relief, and the doctor’s quiet thanks as he settled into his spot, as well as the comfortable silence that had lingered afterwards.

He remembered waking up on the couch wrapped in his favourite blanket, not recalling falling asleep and having FRIDAY clarify that the doctor had made efforts to make him comfortable before he left for the evening. 

It was far from the first time Stephen had shown him that kind of care, nor was it the last, but it was one that had stuck in his head.

“I’ve never had to share someone in a relationship before,” Tony confessed after a few moments. He recognized that he was attached to the sorcerer, that his desire to pursue him had caused him to act on it to begin with. “I don’t know how it works, exactly.”

“I didn’t, either, when I first started,” Stephen responded calmly. When the engineer looked up, there was no way for him to miss the fondness and patience on the other man’s face. “I can offer some resources to help give you an idea of how they should function in a healthy manner, but no books or websites in the world can account for every variable, and there are certainly none that encompass how a relationship should look for a superhero,” he added, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a slight smile.

“Sure, that’s a good start, but… I admit, I’ve always been more of a hands-on learner,” Tony chuckled softly.

“I figured that would be the case, but I also don’t want myself or Loki to be the only references you have on how it should work. I want you to be able to communicate your needs, set your boundaries, and make certain that you always feel wanted, cared for, and appreciated in every way that you require. I never want you to feel taken advantage of, or neglected.”

Stephen set his cup down on the table and steepled his fingers, watching the engineer carefully. “I cannot account for every eventuality. I can’t promise that everything will be perfect, or that I’ll always do the right thing. I’ll make mistakes. You’ll make mistakes. Loki will make mistakes. Exploring these aspects with open communication and an open mind are the only things we can do. Caring enough to forgive, but caring about ourselves enough to speak up when something isn’t right… those are important in any relationship, but I would say in a relationship like this it’s all the more the case.”

“And if I agree to this uh… does that mean I’m… also dating Loki?”

Stephen barked a laugh before quickly covering his mouth and shaking his head. “No! Definitely not! That would involve an entirely different discussion between you and him, I would expect, and involve setting the terms of your own relationship dynamic. You may still want to have that discussion with him regarding boundaries, but in the end I’m not going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do with Loki.

“If you’d like to explore that sometime, however, I’m perfectly happy to discuss that with you and he at that time.”

Tony was quiet as he finished his drink, staring off into space as he considered the possibilities. On the one hand, he and Loki definitely had a turbulent history and he knew he’d need to work on that if he was going to even vaguely consider a relationship with him directly. On the other… removed from the embarrassment of the situation, there was no denying that he’d found the scene he’d walked in on at least a little arousing. The intensity of Loki’s green eyes on him and the elegant way the other man had draped himself over Stephen…

“... we can, of course, explore the sexual aspects rather than anything more emotionally heavy, I’m also sure that could be arranged,” Stephen smirked at him over the top of his teacup, and Tony sat up straight as a board.

“Hey, keep out of my head-”

“It was written plainly on your face, Stark. I didn’t need magic to figure that one out,” the sorcerer chuckled, finishing his own tea.

Tony frowned slightly at that, before running a hand into his hair. “You two are kinda hot together, okay? Forgive a guy his boner.”

“Oh it’s beyond forgiven,” Stephen said, his lips once again twisting into a smirk. “It just so happens that I’m fine with you finding myself attractive. And I’m fine with you finding my partner attractive. And I’m fine if you decide you only want something sexual, or if you need a few days to…  _ think it over _ …”

“Don’t you try riddles with me, Doc, just say you’d get off to thinking about me rubbing one out thinking about you and quit being all coy about it.” Tony felt his lips quirk up on his own as he left both payment and a tip on the table, getting to his feet. “But we should talk about anything like that… maybe not in public.”

“I promise, no one can hear us anyway. Nevertheless, if you want to take me home…”

“Don’t tempt me, Strange.” Tony sighed softly, and ran a hand into his hair. “I still have a lot to think about, and I don’t want to make any rush decisions based on my libido. But this isn’t a no,” he added, quickly looking up to make sure Stephen hadn’t dismissed that thought.

“Even if it was, that wouldn’t change our friendship, Tony. Take your time and make the decision that’s right for you.” Stephen stood, offering him a warm smile as they left the cafe and walked back towards the Sanctum.

“Are we still on for next Friday with the others?” the sorcerer asked as they walked, casting a sideways glance at Tony. The engineer smiled to himself.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way… and hey, maybe I’ll have an answer for you by then.”

“There’s no rush on that,” Stephen chuckled as Tony stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Sanctum. “Take as much time as you need.”

“... bring Loki when you come, okay?”

Stephen paused, looking at him with barely masked surprise. “Pardon?”

“I said bring your boyfriend. I’m sure Thor would love to have a movie night with his brother present,” Tony smiled warmly. “Besides, I can’t figure out where I’m at with him unless we actually interact, right?”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Completely.”

“... if you insist,” the soft smile on the sorcerer’s features as he spoke said far more than his words, and Tony couldn’t help but echo the smile.

“I do. Now, get back to him before I get charged with cock-blocking.”

“Heavens forbid the horny police come lock you up.”

“... and with the thought of handcuffs and sex in mind, I think that’s my cue to leave. I’ll talk to you later, Doc.”

“Have a good day, Tony.”

* * *

“I’m surprised you just let him leave.” Loki hummed softly as he looked up over his cup of tea at Stephen. The sorcerer carefully toed off his shoes and took a seat beside his partner with a sigh.

“I’m not going to force him to come to an immediate conclusion about something he’s clearly hesitant about,” Stephen shrugged helplessly, slumping against Loki and resting his head against the man’s shoulder, allowing Loki’s fingers to gently thread through his hair.

“But you want him,” Loki responded, continuing his reading and absently scraping his nails along Stephen’s scalp.

“I do. But I want him to want this, too. I want him to be happy, and I can’t force him to be happy in a relationship that he’s uncomfortable with.”

“You could’ve dumped me like a sack of potatoes and gotten the man you’ve been pining after for well over a year. It wouldn’t have taken anything.”

“It would have taken losing you,” Stephen responded, peeking an eye open to look up at the other man. “It would have taken breaking my promise. I’m not doing that, Loki. I’m not choosing between things I want. I love you.”

“You’re a sap,” Loki rolled his eyes a little, looking down at the man leaning on his shoulders before quirking his lips slightly and pressing a kiss to Stephen’s brow. “I love you, too. And yes, I’ll go to movie night. And yes, I’ll be nice to Stark, because I can’t give you the world… but I can help you get the things you want in life.”

“See? Why would I want to give that up?” Stephen inquired, smiling to himself as he closed his eyes and relaxed in his spot.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, Rosa! And to anyone else who took the time to read, thank you! This is definitely just meant as a prelude to a relationship, but in my head this all works out. It's up to all of you to decide how you want it to resolve!


End file.
